𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐘 ― d. grayson ¹

⤿ twenty-two

A second figure stretched beside Artemisia, grumbling in ache. She peeped to her side, barely catching a face. Her eyes moved to the dimming lasso, gawking with appreciation. Where did someone get that kind of weapon? Then, in the furthest notch of her mind, something clicked. She looked back at her left. "Dick?"

"Hey," Dick reacted with a smile. He ruffled his hair and pushed himself up without effort. He arranged his clothes and glanced into her dark eyes. His hand extended towards her. "'You alright?"

Robin gazed at his face. She did not believe her eyes, allowing her view to regulate. Maybe she was seeing things. But he was still there, offering to help. She responded with a nod, silently taking his hand, still in awe.

"What happened?" He asked, picking her up as though she were light as a feather. Robin stumbled a bit, but his grip held her in place. Their touch was broken by a shaken voice. She pulled away from him and took various steps away.

Rachel's mother nuzzled her daughter. Her expression of horror was fixated on the inanimate woman. "She tried to kill my daughter!"

The words she spoke were true. Had it not been for Robin or Zach, Rachel could have become a memory. A corpse on the floor. But it had not been Kory, as many realized, who tried to murder the kid. A strange entity had taken control of her weakened mind. A force that aspired to repel Rachel from the world, just like many tried on numerous occasions.

The attention hurried towards the uneasy teenager. An imprint had started to flush in her skin, right where Kory had begun to strangle her. "I was trying to help Kory get her memory back. I must have done something wrong."

"No," her mother retorted in seconds. She tugged her daughter into an intenser hug. "None of this is your fault."

"Your mom's right, Rache," Artemisia finally spoke. Her throat throbbed from the force that had been applied to it. She massaged it gently, glimpsing at the girl in compassion. "It's not your fault. But I don't think it's Kory's, either. Something took over her―"

"You're defending that woman?"

She blinked at the question. Rachel's mother had taken her by surprise with the yell. She had not seemed like the kind of woman to do so. This is how it must affect a parent when their child is in nuisance. Artemisia wiggled her head. She was not endorsing the act.

"What's going on?" Came Kory's voice from the spot she had been flung. Everyone in the room pivoted in her direction. It must be displeasing having all of them glare at you. If it had bothered her in some way, she was good at repressing it. Kory's attitude had not altered the tiniest until. . .

"You tried to kill Rachel," Dick deadpanned. Straight to the point. No softening up.

Kory sat up abruptly. She looked perplexed. Lost. Her eyes hurried to Robin, who hastily glanced away. Holding her gaze would incriminate her in Rachel's mother's eyes. Her dumbfound stare turned back to the raven-haired girl. "What? No, I would never do that."

"I want this woman out of my house!" A reasonable petition from a concerned mother. Yet, one that none of them were ready to comply. Kory stared at them, her panic still to vacate her expression. She stumbled to her feet. Dick's words did not resonate with her. "Now, Goddamn it!"

Kory found herself with no other choice. This was not her home. She did not call the shots. And if people felt insecure around her, then she had to retire. Her tearing eyes moved to the harmed teenager. "Rachel, I am so―" one sole pace, and the mother had stepped between them. She nodded in awareness. "I am so sorry. I have to go."

And with that, she took a sharp turn left, exiting the house. Guilt gurgled in Artemisia's chest. Not two seconds had passed, and she began to pursue her friend outside. She dismissed the change of temperature, caring only about Kory.